“The first three days of their trip had been nothing but clear blue skies and warm breezes. Now, nine hundred miles off the coast of Hawaii, all of that had changed.”

The sailing trip is deceptively calm and uneventful until it becomes wildly chaotic, unpredictable, and treacherous. The contrast between the mood in the opening scene, which conveys an atmosphere of excitement and adventure, and the tension and fear of the storm creates an intriguing opening for a story of survival.

“A hard turn like this just brings you closer together. And let’s face it, isn’t that exactly what your parents wanted you kids to get out of this trip?”

Dex is unaware of just how much of a “hard turn” lies ahead, believing the storm is just a hiccup in the path of a wonderful and successful sailing trip. His statement is ironic and foreshadows the storm’s growing fury: The children are about to get more out of this trip than any of them expected or bargained for, and the theme of Forging a Blended Family becomes only part of the adventure.

“Whatever was next, Vanessa didn’t hear it. It was swallowed up by a brilliant flash of lightning and a crash of thunder too overwhelming to be anywhere but right on top of them.”

The story’s action-packed sequences are highly tense and suspenseful, particularly during the height of the storm. Its intense strength is clear by how it moves the boat, drowns out everything around it, and instills fear and panic in everyone on board.